Family says man killed in Buckhead gas station shooting was father of 12
A felon who had been working in a security position at a Buckhead gas station is now charged with murder, according to Atlanta police.
The Thursday morning shooting killed a father of 12, according to the victim’s family.
On Friday afternoon, Antonio Dean, 34, was arrested, police confirmed. He was charged with murder, aggravated assault, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony and possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
About 2:15 a.m. Thursday, officers found an unresponsive man who had been shot when they arrived at a Chevron at Piedmont Road and Morosgo Drive.
According to his arrest warrants, Dean shot 46-year-old Daylon Rainwater multiple times, killing him. Investigators initially said they believed shots were fired after Rainwater was involved in a dispute with a security guard.
Rainwater was a father of 12 and is also survived by siblings and other family members, according to an online fundraising page created to assist with funeral costs.
“He was loved by many and will truly be missed by all the hearts he touched,” the GoFundMe page states. “We didn’t expect him to leave us behind so soon. That’s why we are reaching out for anyone to help cover the cost to give him a proper home-going service.”
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Dean served time twice in state prison following convictions in Cook County. He served from May 2015 until the following April and again from July 2017 until August 2020 after being convicted of aggravated assault, records show.
Dean was being held without bond Monday in the Fulton County jail.
About the Authors
Merrill Hart is a local government intern for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is a rising fourth-year student studying English and Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia.
